The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-18
WHEN GAS WAS FIRST USED
How It's Illuminating Power Was Dis
covered and Brought Into Use.
The First Place in Indiana Where 1t Was
Manufactured for Lighting Purposes-How
1t Was introduced to the Public.


the most recent of the great industries Natural
gas has been known for many years and those
formerly progressive heathens. the Chinese. ap-
pear to have used it while the present lands OF
civilization were the abodes of darkness. The
first known mention of the production of gas
from coal is in a little book called Vegetable
Staticks." published by DIR. Stephen Hales in
1926. He discovered that when coal dis
titled in close vessels nearly one-third
of it passed off in infammable vapor.
It is believed, however, that Rev.
John Clayton, Dean Of Kildare. discovered
the process at an earlier date, but bis expert
ments were not given publicity until 1879. when
they appeared in the record Of the Royal So
ciety of England. Clayton says of his experiment:
''At first there came ouly phlegm (naph-
thai afterwards a black oil (tar). and then like
wise spirit (gas) arose. which I could in no
ways condense, but it forced my lutte. and on
coming close thereto to repair it observed that
the spirit which issued out caught FIRE at the
flame of the candle. and continued burning with
violence it issued out III stream,
which 1 blew out and lighted alternately
several times. then filled
good many bladders Herewith. and might have
filed inconceivable number more. for the
spirit continued TO rise for several hours. and
filed the bladders almost as fast a could
have blown them with his mouth; and yet the
quantity of Goals was inconsiderable. kept this
spirit in the bladders considerable time. and
endeavored in several ways to condense it, but
in vain; and when had mind to divert strang-
ers friends. have frequently taken of
the biaddsrs and pricked hole therein with a
pin, and COMPRISING gently the bladder near
the flame of a candle till it took fire, it
would then continue flaming till all the spirit
was compressed out .of the bladder; which
the more surprising because could dis
Germ any difference between those bladders and
those which are filed with common air."
After this time many experiments were made
with gas. but practical use was made of it
until near the close of the century. In 1892
William Murdoch. engineer, at Rednith in
Cornwall, perfected apparatus by which he
lighted his house and Office. In 1902 in cele-
braton of the peace of Amiens he lighted the
great foundry Of Boulton & Watt, Bir-
mingham. with gas At the same time
LIE Bon, Frenchn who had been
e expert nan!: With gas o.. Lighted t his
Theater. in London, was lighted by gas, and in
1913 Westminster bridge was illuminated in the
same way. The next year all Westminster
used it, and In 1876 the city of London adopted
the new method. 1t is said that the members of
Parliament expressed great surprise finding
that the pipes did not become hot and that the
architect of the building insisted that FIVE inches
of space should be left between the pipes and
the wood work to prevent fire.
By this time the attention of America
called to the subject. In 1915 James MeMurtrie
moved. in the City Council of Philadelphia, to
inquire into the expediency of lighting the city
with gas The next year Baltimore began ex-
perimentine with gas for public lighting, and
the first city of the United States to adopt
it. Boston followed. in 1922 In 1923
several o Na v cities Joined the pro
was organized in that year, but the-city not
actually lighted until 1925. Naturally the new
light attracted attention, and the scientific jour
nails of the day, particularly the Journal of the
Franklin Institute, circulated information con-
corning the process of its manufacture and stor-
age for use throughout the cou atry generally.
Through this advertisement IN the public
prints. the nature and method of N anufacture Of
the new illumination became known in Indiana.
At that time the southeastern part of the State
was perhaps more progressive than any other.
1t bad been settled by the overflow of the Ohio
settlements by class of people more distinct.
lively Eastern than those of any other section.
eressive than George H. Dunn,
New York lawyer, who had located
there at early day. He represented Dearborn
county in the Legislature for three terms, was
Treasurer of State one term, and went to Con-
gress from the Southeastern district for one
term. While in the Legislature he in
bills. One was the bill Incorporating the Indian
apolis, Cincinnati & Lafayette railroads the
other was the bill organizing the State Bank.
In the current parlance of the day he was known
1.-The Ajax lebanon of the bank BILL" The
completion of the railroad was due chiefly to his
efforts, and he was for some years its
secretary of the Indiana Historical
Society. He determined to give Illuminating
gas trial. and associated with himself DIR.
Jabez Perceval and Dr. Henry j. Bowers, two
well known physicians of the place They had
some apparatus made and tried soms expert
ments in building known Bond 6 Reese's
block, which stood at the southwest corner of
Main and Short streets, in Lawrenceburg
In this building, which replaced many
years ago by more substantial one. one even
ing in the winter of 1926 z, was given the first
exhibition of illuminating gas in Indiana The
people gathered in a room in the second story,
dimy lighted by tallow candles which were set
place. Ateither END of the mantel piece there
Which as was whispered among :ia the
wond erine spectators. was 1.-THE gas" Some Of
the learned and holder ones felt of
the and smelled of them to satisfy themselves
that there was no wick reservoir of oil con-
cealed in them. Finally. two of the expert
mentors took the candles-it was before the day
of matches-and went to the tubes The crowd
WAS breathless they turned the cocks with
one hand and applied the candle flame with the
other and then. the bright flames leaped
from the burners, there were long-drawp
t9eaA quickly followed by escl l
Then the nature of the light and the
process of its production were explained. and
all sorts OF questions that would seem very
childish now, were asked and answered. FL
nAlly the spectators went home to dream over,
and awake to discuss anew, this nine days won
der,
The experiment being generally conceded a |
grand success. it was determined 10 try it a |
more extensive scale. The building selected for
lighting the Methodist church of the viii |
lage small brick building with stone founda-
ton which fronted on Walnut street. between |
William street and Partition lane. The retorts |
were placed in the cellar and from them three |
cd No audi
room above Two of them came I'D |
through the altar, at each end. The |
other attached to post in the center of the |
room, and had five SIX burners radiafing |
from the top something like chandelier. The |
church was well lighted by these burners, and !
the improvement gave very general satisfaction
The Methodist Church of that time however, |
was very conservative. A musical instrument |
or paid choir would have broken up |
any congregation at once, and the wear |